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Christian bakers who refused to bake pro-gay marriage cake lose court appeal

The Christian owners of a bakery have lost their appeal against a ruling that said they discriminated against a gay man by refusing his order for a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan.

Daniel McArthur and wife Amy, who own Ashers Bakery, in Northern Ireland, claimed the design went against their deeply held religious beliefs.

Gareth Lee, an LGBT rights activist, tried to order a cake, featuring Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie, with the motto “Support gay marriage”.

The cake Lee requested 

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He paid the £36.50 cost in full at the Belfast city centre branch but was telephoned two days later and told the company could not take his order.

Lee, a volunteer member of the LGBT advocacy group Queer Space, then decided to sue.

At the original court case in 2015, Lee said the refusal made him “feel [like] I’m not worthy, a lesser person, and to me that was wrong”.

The McArthur family were told to pay £500 in compensation, but later appealed.

LGBT rights activist Gareth Lee (PA)

Northern Ireland’s Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, in delivering the appeal judgment, said Ashers had directly discriminated against Lee.

He rejected the argument that the bakery would be endorsing the slogan by baking the cake.

“The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either,” he said.

Ashers, which employs 80 staff across nine branches, has had its legal fees paid by the Christian Institute.